Month: February 2008

  • Macchiato

    New York City, NY

    On a cold morning in the Big Apple… we ducked into this little coffee bar on East 44th near Grand Central Station. Macchiato is a rather trendy place where you can buy your choice of coffees, teas, and breakfast foods. Being your designated food documentor, I felt obligated to take pictures and report back to you good folks!


    Mochachino


    Egg, Bacon and Cheese Bagel


    Ham and Swiss Croissant

    The Mochachino was strong enough to open my eyes and it’s presentation was charming enough to put a smile on my face. As for the breakfast sandwiches.. The Egg, Bacon and Cheese Bagel was warm and tasty but it lacked a little substance. We were a bit shorted on the gutts of the sandwich. The Ham and Swiss Croissant was made in advance so it was as room temp.. but it was actually good! I guess I could imagine what it would have taste like if it were warm and toasty!! Overall.. the service was extremely fast and the coffee and food wasn’t that bad.

    Overall Rating: 1/2 (out of 7 )

    www.macchiatocafe.com



    Chef Eats’ Directory:
    -Click here for MORE Chef Eats’ Entries-

    Updated regularly, So eat up! =)

  • Joe’s Shanghai again!?





    New York City, New York


    Everytime I visit NYC, I have to eat at Joe’s Shanghai.. And believe it or not this was my very FIRST Chef Eats’ Xanga entry! (Joe’s Shanghai pt. 1) So I guess this place had a little something to do my writing about my eats and travels. I’ve heard some people say that it’s overrated or it’s not all that.. It’s my personal opinion but I feel that it does meet and exceed the expectations! The dumplings are flavorful and delicious… and even though it’s always jam packed, the wait is never too long!

    This time around I thought I’d do a little deconstructing of the soup dumplings to give you folks visual of what’s actually being eaten. I obviously  know that my words do it no justice.. haha enjoy! 



    Outside Joe’s Shanghai



    New Menu??





    Is it just me or do they have new menus? Joe’s is getting classy! =)



    The Dumplings!




    The Broth (if you sit in the center of the restaurant, you get that cool neon reflection in your broth lol)




    The Meat




    The Wrap


    So once you get the dumpling into your spoon, you puncture the the bottom of the wrapper with your chopstick and drain the broth into your soup spoon. There’s plenty of precious liquid, so be very careful not to lose any! Secondly, I usually top the meat and the wrap with their ginger vinegar dipping sauce and eat it just before I sip the broth. It’s very refreshing and delicious!


    What do you think of the infamous Soup Dumplings?? Overrated or As advertised?

    eat at Joe’s! lol




    Overall Rating:      (out of 7 )

    yeah I just raised the rating.. I was craving it! haha


    www.joeshanghairestaurants.com




    Chef Eats’ Directory:
    -Click here for MORE Chef Eats’ Entries-

    Updated regularly, So eat up! =)

  • Mardi Gras 08 and King Cake!


    New Orleans, La

    Happy Mardi Gras!

    Yes.. it’s that time of the year again.. Mardi Gras 2008!! For those of you who don’t know, Mardi Gras is the final day of Carnival, though the term is often used incorrectly to describe the days and weeks preceding Fat Tuesday.. according to wiki.. People are drinking, partying and eating the most decadent things on the planet! One of those things? King Cake!

    The King of all Cakes… the King Cake! By description, It’s a ring of twisted bread similar to that used in brioche, topped with icing or sugar, usually coloured purple, green, and gold (the traditional Carnival colors) with food colouring. Some varieties have filling inside, the most common being cream cheese followed by praline. Popular bakeries such as Gambino’s, Haydel, and Randazzo, feature original recipes and types of king cakes.


    The icing!


    The sugar!


    The guts!

    It’s actually a very delicious cake, if you get it at the right place. (Gambino’s, Haydel, Randazzo.. or other local bakeries around the Big Easy) And being in one of United States’ four Most Unique Cities, New Orleans has a lot of different seasons of celebration that make it very special. (oyster season, crawfish season, Saint’s football season!..)  Now it’s carnival time and the city is alive and kicking! I’m really happy that the city bounced back so well after Katrina.. Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!! (Let the good times Roll! )



    Chef Eats’ Directory:
    -Click here for MORE Chef Eats’ Entries-

    Updated regularly, So eat up! =)